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Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections College Essay Noa Cordova Volume 5 Issue 5 July 5, 2025 Image Provided by Noa Cordova In 1300 Words or Less, Advise Incoming Seniors on College Essay Writing “Some colleges require submission of the personal essay with your Common App. ” It’s the final tab on the Common App, prompting you to summarize your whole life story in 650 words or less, except, it’s not. College essays provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate an integral part of yourself that the academic achievements on your transcript and extracurricular activities on your resume cannot reveal. College admissions officers should meet you through your writing. While it could, your essay does not have to cover monumental life experiences, it could cover something seemingly insignificant, but of great value to you. Choosing a topic challenges you to pinpoint significant experiences or details to develop an essay. Ideally, you should brainstorm essay topic ideas during your senior summer so you can start drafting over the summer or early fall with guidance from your English teachers. While the Common App essay prompts open early August, you’re not required to answer a specific prompt, and the prompts do not vary much year to year, so if you have an idea, feel free to start developing it before the Common App releases prompts. One of the best pieces of advice I received was to approach your essay as a creative writing piece, according to Mrs. Mansfield, an AP Literature teacher and college essay advisor to her senior students. Typically, we associate essays with research and arguments, but in this case, it’s a personal narrative, and you have the creative freedom to make it a distinctive, enthralling writing piece. According to The Ivy Institute, a college advice blog, admissions officers spend about 90 seconds reviewing personal essays. With this in mind, it's crucial to capture admissions officers’ attention. To do this effectively, begin with a strong hook and “show, don’t tell”, as Mrs. Mansfield stresses to her seniors. Get Them Hooked A hook, an attention-grabbing opening statement, serves to keep a reader interested in a piece of writing. A few generous Class of 2025 seniors shared their hooks as examples. Some hooks introduce the topic directly, putting readers in the writer's shoes, eager to want to hear their story. For example: “‘Why do you try so hard at school?’” “‘People are happy when I get good grades.’” Using dialogue as a hook creates a fly-on-the-wall moment for readers, including them in an explanatory conversation in the writer’s life. “If you look in the mirror and don’t like what you see, you can find out firsthand what it’s like to be me.” To an angsty twelve-year-old listening to My Chemical Romance’s song, “The End.” From the album The Black Parade for the first time, these lyrics perfectly described what it felt like to “be me.” Song lyrics, or quotes, are other effective ways to hook readers. Additionally, their sources naturally reveal the writer’s interests along with their essay topic. In this case, readers learn about the students’ love for alternative rock music and how the lyrics resonated with their self-image journey. Other functional hooks leave the essay’s topic mysterious, which may intrigue admissions officers because they can’t anticipate the essay’s direction. For example: “I hate talking about my dad. Not my dad as a person, but rather what’s inside of him. The thing that has weighed over my family for twelve years.” This essay’s strategically vague hook introduces a mysterious “thing” that significantly impacted this student’s life and leaves readers in suspense, only anticipating a compelling, touching narrative. “I was the last to find out.” This short, cryptic hook’s ambiguity sets up an essay that could take almost any direction. The writer shared the essay discussed their heritage and experiences as the youngest siblings where they were the last to find out about their family’s past, deaths in the family or the realities of their refugee family; the writer takes a simple idea in their life and takes their essay in a complex direction, which the hook leaves unpredictable. Lastly, I’ll share mine. “I was an Egyptian mummy once.” A seemingly contradictory hook can add a unique flair to your essay, much like the mysterious hooks; not only do you leave the topic a mystery, but it prompts readers to keep reading to figure out how an implausible statement makes sense by the end of your essay. Show Don’t Tell The idea that you should show who you are rather than tell enhances your essay and makes it flow like a narrative rather than a factual essay you’d write in an academic setting. You can show certain attributes through techniques, including, but not limited to, dialogue (internal or external), metaphors, or describing an experience in detail. Rather than tell an admissions officer, “I am proud of my culture,” describe a cultural event or influences of your culture in your daily life. Instead of writing, “I am always thinking about others,” add dialogue outlining an interaction that highlights your thoughtfulness. Use italics , bold words , underlined words , or write in CAPITAL LETTERS to visually grab your reader’s attention and distinguish internal thoughts or yelling from regular writing. By the end, as Mrs. Mansfield tells her students, a phrase like “this made me who I am today” should be unnecessary and omitted altogether from your final draft because your essay should demonstrate that your topic impacted you and “made you who you are” without explicitly stating it. Supplementary Essays, Supplementary Advice Although your college essay gets sent to each college as your main essay, most colleges require one or more supplemental essays, which are shorter than your college essay. When choosing a topic, consider writing about something the rest of your application doesn’t reflect; avoid repeating yourself and aim to show as many sides of yourself as possible. A common supplementary essay is the “why this college” essay. In my experience, it’s best to treat this prompt like a mini-research task. You might love the college but find yourself with a limited ability to describe why, or you may not be that interested in the college, so answering the “why” prompt is especially challenging. You should consult the college’s website to learn about course offerings, student life, and most importantly, the school’s culture. If you know what you want to major in, check the program for that college and pick distinct aspects of the program unique to the college, not something most colleges have, like a study abroad opportunity. You can also discuss a club or activity you did throughout high school that you’d like to continue throughout your college years. For example, for my “why” essays, I found the names of each school newspaper and expressed my interest in joining. University social media pages on Instagram and TikTok can give you helpful insight into what university life is like at a particular school. The most important thing about a “why” essay is specificity, demonstrating your interest by naming opportunities to show you’ve looked into the school and prove to the college that you can fit within their community. Final Advice (200 words or less) You’ve likely heard it before, but I’ll reiterate it: write about what you want to write about, not what you think admissions officers want to read. Writing what you think admissions officers want to read risks originality and authenticity, arguably the most important components of a successful essay. If your essay is causing you immense stress, remember, the admissions officer reviews your application holistically, so it’s just one small aspect of a bigger picture they’re considering. Test out different topics, write rough drafts, experiment with words and perspectives, and while looking at others’ examples can be inspiring, be careful not to compare your writing harshly. Don’t hesitate to ask trusted people for assistance, without diminishing your voice. Best of luck, incoming seniors, with telling your story in 650 words or less. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Shop: A Pop Opera By Rachel Ezeadichie Volume 2 Issue 3 January 14, 2022 Image provided by Jack Stauber Whether you are his biggest fan or have never heard of his name in your life, you have probably heard some of Jack Stauber’s music somewhere. His song “Oh Klahoma” was used in over 500k videos on TikTok during a recent Halloween trend. Another one of his songs, “Buttercup,” was used in 1.4 million TikTok videos to convey various trends. Jack Stauber has also over 100 songs and multiple albums and shorts with deeper meaning. A prime example of one of these albums is “Shop: A Pop Opera.” Shop: A Pop Opera was a mini-series that was aired on Adult Swim at midnight from March 4th-9th in 2019. The seven-video series follows a man trying to complete his shopping list, but as he continues down his list, he meets a few peculiar people who have issues relating in some way to the item he is trying to buy. It starts off with the man trying to choose between two yogurt samples. He decides to start looking for the items on his shopping list. The first item on the list is milk. While trying to find milk, he encounters an old lady who cannot reach pecan nuts and thus asks him for help. When he retrieves the pecan nuts for her, the lady claims he did not grab the pecan, while he was certain it was. Before he can pick the lady’s desired item, she disappears without a trace. As soon as she leaves, he finds the milk, but realizes it has expired. He begins to wonder what kind of milk it was. Wondering whether it had a family, if it dripped with calcium, or if it had goals and dreams. He then picks up a carton of unexpired milk and pursues the next item. He heads into the next aisle to find his next item, bread. He finds artisanal multi-grain 12 nut vitamin bread, to be exact. While wondering whether to buy the bread or not, he meets a snobby man who desires the same bread. When our main character asks whether the bread was of decent quality, the snobby man laughs and replies that it was for his dog as it was not edible enough for him. After telling our main character that he must go to a walnut auction, the snobby man leaves, and our shopper is left alone to examen the bread. He wonders if he lets his belongings define him and practically questions his sanity. He finds a normal batch of bread and looks for paper towels next. When he enters the next aisle, the man witnesses the shattering of a glass bottle by another customer. An employee comes up and asks whether he broke it, to which he says no. The employee starts to clean the mess but is cut by some of the glass. The man worries for the employee but asks where the paper towels are located but was promptly interrupted by the employee monologuing about how entities can be easily broken but may take much longer to fix. The employee then tells him the towels reside in the next aisle. The employees’ monologue sparks curiosity within the man. He starts thinking to a universal level, noticing that nothing is reversible. Therefore, it is not worth trying to solve the issue or problem. These quirky interactions continue throughout the shorts. For instance, one finds the relationship between coffee and necessity, while another binds cheese and the concept of acceptance together. The underlying themes are up for interpretation, as they are not set in stone. If you look in the comment section of the video, there are various theories which explain the meaning of this series. If interested, I would totally check it out. The next time you head to the supermarket, look at your shopping list at an introspective level. You may produce something to change the world, develop an artistic outlook, or create a better understanding of life. In contrast, you may just figure out what flavor of yogurt you desire. It really depends on the person. Shop: A Pop Opera Link- SHOP: A Pop Opera | adult swim smalls - YouTube BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Art & Culture Back to Sections First Day of School Traditions Around the World By Carolina Grace Figueroa Volume 2 Issue 1 October 8, 2021 Image provided by Little Passports Schools around the globe have different start dates, calendars, and traditions. The first day of a new term at school is an exciting time filled with prospects of gaining more knowledge, making new friends, and building community. I enjoy learning about different cultures and found some fascinating traditions to mark the start of the school year in other countries. Children from other countries celebrate back to school in fun, different, and exciting ways. First-day back-to-school traditions from around the world include: In Japan, parents traditionally send their kids a lunch of rice, seaweed sauce, and quail eggs on the first day of school. This symbolizes good luck for the new school year. Children also receive a stiff, hard-sided backpack (called randoseru ) as a present on their first day of elementary school to carry all their school supplies. The randoseru helps form a kind of cultural unity and bond that brings the kids together. In Indonesia, the focus of the first day of school is to help children get acquainted and make new friends rather than getting right into academic lessons. Schools use this first day to organize kids into social peer groups for fun activities and as an orientation for students to get to know each other. This creates a sense of community environment for them. In India, the first day of school (called praveshanolsavam , or “Admissions Day”) also coincides with the beginning of the rainy, monsoon season. Parents often give their children unique gifts, including a brand-new umbrella, along with other fun goodies. In Germany, on the first day of school, parents often give their children a schultuete (“school cone”), which is a giant paper, plastic, or cone-shaped cardboard package that is decorated and filled to the brim with school supplies, candies, treats and other small gifts. This marks new beginnings and is given to make the children’s new school year a little sweeter! In Italy, children wear a “work smock” or “work coat” (called grembiule ) over their clothes in primary school. In Kindergarten, girls wear pink and red checkers, while boys wear blue and white checkers. After first grade, the smocks are a deep blue color. The children must also wear a specific color of ribbon to indicate what grade they are in. In Kazakhstan, each child brings a single flower to their new teacher on the first day of school. The teacher then gathers all the flowers together to make one large bouquet for the classroom. Parents also give their children a present containing sweets, a pencil, and a candle. Teachers and parents arrange a friend’s ceremony and food-feast so students can get together to make new friends. In Holland, children are transported safely in an eco-friendly cargo bike (called bakfietsen ) on the first day of school. This cargo bike consists of a large box, cart, or basket with wheels attached to the front of an adult bike. What a fun way to be transported to school! In Vietnam, students are dressed and ready to perform for their family, friends, and local officials that have gathered to send them off on the first day of school. After the colorful ceremonies, this nationwide festival holds traditional games and artistic performances for the children to enjoy together. In Russia, the first day of school is known as “Knowledge and Skills Day,” when a traditional ceremony of the “first bell” is held, where one of the younger girls is hoisted up onto the shoulders of an older boy who carries her around the line of students as she rings the first bell to mark the start of school. The children must wear formal attire to school. Children also often bring a fresh flower bouquet for their teacher and receive a balloon in return. In America, children wear a brand new first day of school outfit and pose for a picture, sometimes holding a sign which has the school year or grade they are entering written on it. Taken every year on the first day of school, these photos mark how much the child has grown and progressed from year to year. Parents may also complete the first day of school interview page, like an “All About Me” questionnaire, with their child or leave lunchbox love notes as a surprise! The start of the new school year around the world has, of course, been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic this year. Every school year, the beginning of a new grade gives children an opportunity for a fresh start and to set new goals for themselves, either socially, academically, athletically, or personally. Each first day of school is such a milestone in children’s lives and always a memorable moment. Good luck to every student worldwide on their first day back to school for this new school year! Hopefully, these first days back to school, cultural ceremonies, and traditions will see a more sense of normalcy next year. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections April Showers Bring May Flowers By Manal Layachi Volume 1 Issue 8 June 8, 2021 Original artwork by Manal Layachi You may have heard the someone say, “April showers bring May flowers,” but what does it actually mean? The meaning of this phrase is very simple. It is a reminder that the most unpleasant events can bring about enjoyable results. In this case, the rain in April helps bring flowers in May. This phrase also teaches a lesson about patience. While waiting for the rain to stop is boring, being patient pays off because in return, flowers will bloom. Even though the rain might make you feel gloomy, when the sun comes out and it is May, flowers will start to bloom and that will change your mood from sad to happy. You might be wondering where this phrase originated. Thomas Tusser, a poet from England, wrote a similar line in a poem during the 1500s. The phrase that he wrote was “Sweet April showers do spring May Flowers.” In England during the month of April, there are huge weather swings with the jet stream going northward at the start of springtime. The month of April is typically the time when the final bit of snow turns to rain as temperatures climb. Increased rain shower activity sparks the beginning of flowers, trees, and plants that start blooming. April is a soggy month based on the position of the jet stream. Since that area has a cooler climate, the lower temperatures push back the appearance of flowers to late April and early May. So, the next time you hear the phrase “April showers bring May flowers”, remember what delightful and surprising things are brought during that time. Sources : www.army.mil and www.wearegreenbay.com and blogs.missouristate.edu BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections Who Needs Romance When You Can Have Platonic Solids? By Lucy Wu Volume 2 Issue 4 February 10, 2022 Image provided by the Sacred Geometry Shop Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching; you can taste the sickly sweetness of candy hearts and smell the over fragranced red roses (not to mention the skyrocketing hallway PDA is pretty ick ). But let’s face the music: you’re not seeing someone at the moment, and your friends already made plans (read: you’ll be alone this Valentine’s Day). I get it: love is hard. But because I completely sympathize with your dilemma, I’ll be playing matchmaker to help you find some company. Thus, I’d like to introduce you to some of my favorite mathematical figures, the platonic solids. Of my many talents, I can also read minds, so I know precisely what you’re thinking: how will these random shapes save me from eating ice cream while binge-watching Love Island alone this Valentine’s Day? Be patient. I assure you that you too will be transfixed by the magical attributes of platonic solids in just a moment. History First of all, background is important (don’t worry, I wouldn’t set you up with someone I didn’t trust wholeheartedly). Fortunately for us, the platonic solids have a pretty, dare I say, solid track record (I promise the puns get better as the article progresses). They’ve been constructed throughout history, such as for games in ancient Italy, or by ancient Roman and Egyptian civilizations. Moreover, they’ve captured the attention (and hearts) of infamous mathematicians, including their Pythagoras, their namesake Plato, and even Kepler. Plato also correlated each solid with a natural element (more on this later), while Kepler used them to explain the enigma of planetary movement (read the Mysterium Cosmographicum if you’re interested). And the best part is, the meaning is built right into their names. In our English vernacular, platonic means a friendly and inseparable bond, never to be distanced by fading feelings or waning passion. Thus, if you choose platonic solids, you’ll never be alone, because just like a good friend, they will always be there for you. While there are multiple platonic solids, I would advise you to take your pick before they’re taken by someone else, since there are just five unique figures. The Basics So what makes a platonic solid a platonic solid anyway? Glad you asked. Dimension: Must be a 3 dimensional figure (So it must possess length, width, and height, which are all important attributes. Like I’d image it wouldn’t be as fun to hang out with a 2D figure, since their personalities are flat because they literally lack dimension.) Faces: If you’re familiar with rectangular prisms, you might know they have sides made of squares and rectangles. Or pyramids have a square base and triangular sides. But platonic solids are special in that their faces are ALL composed of congruent, regular polygons. Meaning, the sides must all be squares, or triangles, or even pentagons for instance. (You might say this makes them boring, but I promise that you’d prefer their constancy and predictability over the chaos that is fractals.) These aren’t requirements, but I’d recommend you take notes before you get lost. Prefixes: Each has a special name composed of the prefix and suffix. The Greek suffix - hedron denotes that it has a specific number of faces. Meanwhile, the prefix changes for each solid to signify the number of faces. For example, tetra- means four in Greek. Edges: The lines composing the sides of the figure, or where each side meets the other side Vertices: The points where lines join up for multiple sides of the figure (they look like spikes) Now that you understand their history and terminology, let me introduce you to each of our lovely platonic solids. Tetrahedron (Credits: Bijan Davvaz) Vertices: 4 Edges: 6 Faces: 4 Element: Fire – Since it has the smallest volume in relation to its surface area, it actually becomes the most “flexible” of the solids. It’s ready at a moment’s notice and will certainly fight for you. Planet: Jupiter Hexahedron (a.k.a Cube) (Credits: Bijan Davvaz) Vertices: 8 Edges: 12 Faces: 6 Element: Earth – This is the most stable of all the solids because of its solid base and naturally will keep you grounded. Planet: Saturn Octahedron (Credits: Bijan Davvaz) Vertices: 6 Edges: 12 Faces: 8 Element: Air – Interestingly, you can spin an Octahedron on its axis, making it a moveable object. This is a match made in heaven if your head is in the clouds and you enjoy daydreaming. Planet: Mercury Dodecahedron (Credits: Bijan Davvaz) Vertices: 20 Edges: 30 Faces: 12 Element: Universe – The Greeks are great mathematicians but even better astrologers: 12 faces correspond to each of the 12 zodiac signs. If you’re high maintenance, choose Dodecahedron because you can quite literally have the entire world at the palm of your hand. Planet: Mars Icosahedron (Credits: Bijan Davvaz) Vertices: 12 Edges: 30 Faces: 20 Element: Water – This is the opposite of firey Tetrahedron since it has the largest volume in relation to its surface area, making it the least “flexible.” But fear not, as its many sides will protect you through thick and thin. Planet: Venus But wait... there’s more! Dual Polyhedron Now, you may have noticed that some of the solids have the same number of vertices as the number of faces of another solid, and vice versa (if you didn’t, look back and see if you can find the corresponding pairs). Another fantastic trait of the platonic solids is their duality, that is, their corresponding half, or partner in crime. (This doesn’t mean they’re two-faced, by the way. It simply demonstrates they have the flexibility to change and collaborate which each other, or another facet of their personality if you will.) To construct their hidden counterparts, imagine drawing a point at the center of each face. Then, connect these points with internal line segments, making new sides. Shave off the rest of the shape that doesn’t fall within these sides. If you did it correctly, you should end up with another one of the platonic solids (or Tetrahedron again, if you started with Tetrahedron)! If you’re having trouble visualizing, here’s a diagram. Hexahedron and Octahedron are each other’s duals, while Dodecahedron and Icosahedron match each other as well. Tetrahedron is the most self-aware of them all, since its geometric dual is itself. 1: Platonic Solids 2: Corresponding Duals 3: Superimposed on each other (Credits: Wolfram MathWorld) What’s more is that you can even go back and forth. It’s like taking the reciprocal of a fraction, you just flip. To go back to the original fraction, just flip again. In a similar fashion, by taking the dual of a Hexahedron, you create an Octahedron, and taking a dual of that brings you back home to a Hexahedron once more. Higher Dimensions Let’s also touch upon the fact that these lovely platonic solids manifest their true selves in higher dimensions. For instance, our trusty cube becomes a hypercube (or tesseract, if you’re into that) once you approach it in the 4th dimension. In addition to our height, length, and width, we add the last variable of blurring the constraints of time. For you, this means that just as a cube has a square on each face, the hypercube has a cube on each face instead. (The technicalities can be explained in a future article, but you have to admit this is pretty cool.) I’d advise staring straight at the middle to see the effect (Credits: Joel Grayson) Needless to say, it’s clear why this Valentine’s Day, you should forget your sorrows (and definitely skip the ice cream and Love Island ). My job as Cupid (or Eros if we’re trying to be Greek) is done for now. Instead, I urge you to indulge in the limitless possibilities of a platonic solid that will constantly transcend both space and time for you; just not in a romantic way, only platonically of course. Sources https://www.sacredgeometryshop.com/sacred-geometry/the-secrets-of-the-platonic-solids/ https://mathworld.wolfram.com/DualPolyhedron.html https://brilliant.org/wiki/tesseract/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonic_solid BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Tales Through Time: The Medici Family Rehmat Kaur Volume 4 Issue 2 January 16, 2024 Image provided by www.history.com The Medici family was a prominent Italian banking and political family that strongly influenced Florence from the 15th to the 18th century, sponsoring artists and dominating Florentine culture. They were influenced by the wealth and importance of the burghers, who had a share in government. The Medici's rise was partly due to their involvement in civic affairs, particularly in the influential merchant guild. The first Medici left their native Mugello around 1200 for Florence, where they made a living as merchants. Ardingo de' Medici became the prior of the Florentine merchant guild in the 1280s, leading to the elevation of other Medici to Florence's ruling council, the Signoria. Their financial acumen as bankers also contributed to their political power. The true Medici dynasty began in 1360 with the birth of Giovanni di Bicci, who started his career in banking under the family name and rose to become a junior partner in the bank's branch in Rome. When his uncle retired in 1393, he was given control of the bank, securing the Medici name with a future of wealth and prosperity. Giovanni officially named and founded the Medici bank in 1397, handling the Church and branches' accounts as far as England. Despite his growing wealth and success, Giovanni worked hard to remain disconnected from the state and politics, choosing to pay fines rather than accepting positions of responsibility within the Florentine government. The early 15th century saw the Medici ascend into the highest ranks of Florentine government under Cosimo, Giovanni’s son. However, Cosimo's chief rival, Rinaldo Degli Albizzi, tried to blame him for the war with Lucca. Despite his efforts, he was exiled to Venice in 1433, allowing Cosimo to return to Florence in strength. Cosimo's popularity with the populace and his family's bank allowed him to return a year later, crushing the Albizzi's hopes for dominance. Cosimo de' Medici, the leading citizen of Florence, managed state affairs for 30 years and was a shrewd politician who supported projects with his wealth and supporters. He took advantage of events that solidified his popularity, such as the Peace of Lodi in 1454. Cosimo's passion for religion and the arts is symbolized by the famous Florence Cathedral, or Duomo di Firenze, which allowed architect Brunelleschi to complete Florence's iconic dome. Cosimo's Elder, a prominent figure in the Medici family, was associated with Donatello's statue David and Fra Angelico's artistic masterpieces. He established the Platonic Academy, contributing to the family's investment in important buildings, art, and education. Under Cosimo de' Medici, the Medici ascendancy was assured. Lorenzo de' Medici, known as "Lorenzo the Magnificent," ruled Florence from 1469 to 1492 and was as able an administrator as his grandfather. He married into the Orsini noble family, giving the Medici the support of aristocratic blood. Lorenzo's diplomacy helped secure Florence against enemies, gain new allies, and maintain his position. His success as a diplomat and politician allowed him to gain influence with the papacy, which relied on the Medici Bank for many years. His success as a diplomat and politician allowed him to gain influence with the papacy, which relied on the Medici Bank for many years. Giovanni, Lorenzo's son, became a cardinal and Pope Leo X. Michelangelo, who had found a patron in Lorenzo, began work on the Medici Chapel. Both Cosimo and Lorenzo patronized artists and humanist scholars, with Donatello and Michelozzo di Bartolommeo finding enthusiastic patrons. Lorenzo, a well-read poet, was known for sponsoring cultural pursuits and helping scholars locate and acquire ancient and medieval manuscripts. The Medici believed in education and diligence. They used their talents to gain power, prestige, and influence, improving the quality of life, sponsoring cultural endeavors, and preventing foreign domination. The Medici produced two popes, one queen of France, and humanist statesmen like Lorenzo. Their accomplishments serve as prime examples of Renaissance ideals. The Medici's contributions to the Renaissance were evident in their long tenure as public figures, their importance to art history, and their intimate involvement in state affairs. Resources: https://themedicifamily.com/ https://www.history.com/topics/renaissance/medici-family#birth-of-the-medici-family https://www.britannica.com/topic/Medici-family https://www.florencetoursitaly.it/blog/who-were-the-medici-family/ BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris, Fiction Back to Sections The Luck Giver By Catherine Duong Volume 3 Issue 4 May 18, 2023 Image Provided by Sky: CotL created by the TGC company Author’s note: This short story is fanfiction based on a game called Sky: Children of The Light (Sky: CotL) made by the TGC Company. Hidden Forest (1) - The fourth sky area within the realm. It is described as a place where it oftentimes rains and has vast forests. As spring arose in the sky realm, it was as if life sprung back onto its feet; flowers started to bloom, and everything looked so colorful and vibrant! Around this beautiful season, there was one day in a year that luck would spread about by one person called the Luck Giver. On that day, they would fly across from land to land, swiftly scattering lustrous coins. It is believed that they will bring good fortunes to the sky children! Until one day, the Luck Giver ran out of luck this year. There was no such thing as infinite coins and these coins were expensive to the Giver. Standing at the ledge of the Hidden Forest (1) in front of them, they tightly gripped their staff, pondering alternative ways to keep the tradition going. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Nightmare on Main Street Back to Sections Nightmare on Main Street- Elaine Ching Elaine Ching November 6, 2023 Digital Art Volume 4 Issue 1

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Creative Writing Review By Noah Gonzalez Volume 1 Issue 5 February 12, 2021 Image provided by Alphaspirit ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Out of five, Creative Writing sits strong at a five out of five stars. When taking into account the refreshing change from a typical English course in terms of class work, the exploration of (perhaps) new and unfamiliar styles of literature, as well as the almost limitless number of ways to express one's creative capabilities, one cannot deny the overall benefits acquired from taking this course. First Star : A Fresh New Take - In almost every other course offered in this school, teachers and students must follow a set guideline of learning in order to prepare for either a Regents, AP, or final exam. This can result in students either losing their creative spark within the class or dreadfully following the same old course style they've been following since they entered 1st grade. Creative Writing, however, does not follow this same path. Unlike other courses like AP Human Geography, Regents Physics, or SAT Prep., Creative Writing does not focus on preparing its students for a crucial exam that will either make or break their future. Instead, the course opens up a new world of literature to its students that are generally unexplored in the students' regular English classes. Subjects such as short story writing, graphic novel creation, poetry analysis, and even screenplay writing open up the students' minds to new ways of expressing their creativity in a productive and beneficial manner. Second Star : Lack of Pressure - Similar to an art class, Creative Writing grades its students based on their effort and completion of their work as opposed to a strict point-based system. The pressure of hitting as many points as possible completely vanishes in this course as the most important factor to passing this class is your creativity, imagination, and your diligence to compete what's assigned. Third Star : Easier Grade - As stated previously, this course does not follow a strict point-based system. This means that unless you neglect to complete what's asked of you, you should receive a good grade for the semester you take Creative Writing. The teacher will look that you generally followed the daily lesson; however, other than that, your grade depends on your desire to express your creativity. In my opinion, that's a pretty easy good grade. Fourth Star : Utility Outside Class - Although Creative Writing might not directly influence your grades in other classes, the skills and content acquired within said course can potentially enhance your capabilities within other courses. For example, Creative Writing topics such as poetry creation and analysis provide students with the ability to interpret and create poetry in various forms such as haikus or concrete poems. During such process, students learned to notice figurative language in use, hidden meanings, and the purposes different poetical structures serve. While this allows for students taking Creative Writing to prepare better works of poetry for their class-specific assignment, it also allows for comprehending and completing work in other classes in an easier manner. In classes like AP English Language or Literature, students complete class work and test questions related to poetry analysis. Student who do not/have not taken Creative Writing only have access to their English teacher's lessons that may or may not have the greatest detail or advice because of the teacher's limit on what they can teach due to the need to follow course guidelines. However, if a student has/is taking Creative Writing, they will have a greater knowledge of poetical and literature devices than other students who are limited to their teacher's restricted curriculum capabilities. Fifth Star : Creative Cooperation - One of the greatest aspects of the Creative Writing class is the general freedom to choose how you go about completing the assigned work. Most of the time, if a student puts in the necessary amount of time and effort, they will have little trouble completing their work. While this holds true most of the time, there always exists the possibility where you'll hit a roadblock and cannot produce a creative idea. In most other classes, this problem translates to you either asking the teacher for help, attending extra help, or looking up extra material online. While you can do this in Creative Writing as well, it should be noted that students have an extra liberty in this class that students in other classes do not: the free and near unrestricted assistance from other students. If you're struggling in class like geometry, asking a student for assistance may be perceived by others as cheating. This issue does not transfer over to creative blocks in Creative Writing. In this class, both teachers and student start their classes by discussing ideas in the collaboration space in OneNote. This time allows for the best ideas to come about and for students to pick and choose what best suits their styles of writing. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Is War Coming? By Raj Singh Volume 2 Issue 5 March 28, 2022 Image provided by BBC As you might have heard, Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine. There have been estimates of 100,000 soldiers at the Russo-Ukrainian border amassed for a potential invasion. Western powers have since acted with no more than warnings to stop this. What is happening, and why is it happening? Context: Ukraine is a nation in Eastern Europe that has historically been either an independent nation fighting for survival or under Russian control. In 2013, the current situation began; Ukraine had considered joining the European Union (EU) and made landmark political and trade deals. Though they had a Pro-Russia president who suspended talks to keep Ukraine away from the West, the citizens in Kiev, the capital city, started protesting this action in the streets. This began hostilities between Pro-Russians against Anti-Russians in Ukraine. Russia then invaded Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, a strategic port next to the Black Sea. Russia, a primarily cold country, has many ports that freeze over the winter; due to this issue, Russia wanted this territory as the peninsula is much warmer. In addition to the favorable Mediterranean climate, millions of Russians reside in Crimea. Russia's casus belli - a reason a nation claims it goes to war, often a lie to war without seeming like an aggressor - was to protect the rights of the millions of Russians living in Crimea. In response to Russia's declaration, Eastern regions in Ukraine then promptly rebelled, causing a brief war which a ceasefire halted. Now the ceasefire is being threatened by Russia invading Ukraine again. INFORMATION – Russia's troops comprise of self-propelled guns, tanks, and infantry fighting vehicles. With this buildup, Russia could launch an invasion in early 2022. The troops are located 186 miles from the Ukrainian-Russian border in a training facility and could attack at any moment. Russia said the troops were there for military drills only, but there is doubt amongst the West. Russian Opinion: The Kremlin states the military buildup and training are being done to curb Western aggression against them. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), an alliance of primarily Western countries created decades ago to stop Soviet expansion in Europe, has sold weapons and stationed NATO troops in Ukraine since the ceasefire. Due to this expansion by the West, which is viewed as an aggressive encroachment on Russian security, the Kremlin claims they are the victim and believe they can act on their own security risks. Ukrainian Opinion: Ukraine states that Russia cannot control whether Ukraine gets closer with NATO. The government says that Russia is trying to maintain Ukrainian independence and its future. Citizens of Ukraine fear that a coup d’état, the seizure of a government and its power by an independent group, could happen as a precursor to invasion. In addition, Ukraine is currently going through an energy crisis and believes that its cause is Russia, which is attempting to destabilize the country. NATO Opinion: NATO says if Russia were to invade Ukraine, a NATO partner, they could start economic sanctions and political restrictions on Russia. NATO has prepared the members of the alliance who reside in the Baltic region and the Black Sea for the worst. NATO cannot protect Ukraine with a military force since Ukraine is not a member of the organization. However, NATO will allow Ukraine to become a member, should it choose to, and encourages the country to defy Russia. On January 12th, 2022, a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, occurred to discuss a solution. The situation remains tense, and as I write this, world peace is at stake. American Opinion: America is reviewing multiple options. American officials like President Biden met in Geneva to discuss peace. However, simultaneously, America was armed and continued to supply military assistance to Eastern Europe in preparation for the worst. Fiscally, America delivered 450 million dollars in assistance to Ukraine in 2021 and considered the possibility of launching economic sanctions on Russia. Other factors: Separate from this situation, another former Soviet state has had trouble. Kazakhstan had massive unrest in its capital and in other locations, leading to a Russian-led coalition of troops sent into the state to stop the unrest. There is plenty of doubt that Russian forces will leave Kazakhstan soon. The pipe that leads to Germany, Nord Stream 2, allegedly threatens Ukraine. It uses pipes through the Baltic Sea to pass around Eastern Europe instead of an overland route. Traditionally, the pipes would go through Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, which was a bargaining tool for the country and a source of money through tariffs. These pipes are vital to the Russian gas industry, so if Russia were ever to step out of line, Eastern Europe could cut the lines to damage the industry. However, with the new Baltic pipes, Ukraine loses, in addition to the extra income, its bargaining chip, and leverage over Russia. The U.S. used to have sanctions on the company that built the Baltic pipes but waved them to fix its relationship with Germany depending on those lines. However, in November, America added new sanctions to the company, with growing support from U.S. senators and politicians in Ukraine. Both sides are somewhat to blame; NATO has been encroaching closer to Russia, an aggressive action, but Russia should not have backed the separatists nor have invaded. PRIMARY SOURCE: https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/03/europe/ukraine-russia-2021-tensions-explainer-cmd-intl/index.html BACK TO TOP